LGBT Travel Safety: Expert Tips for Visiting Morocco and Other Conservative Countries

Meg Ten Eyck advises LGBT travelers to research the laws of the country they plan to visit regarding homosexuality. She recommends using guides like this one from The Globetrotter Guys and other LGBT bloggers to get more detailed information about the country. She advises doing this research in advance, because local policies and social attitudes towards homosexuality may not be the same. As an example, she cites the case of Morocco and Russia. "In places like Russia or Morocco, simple actions like holding hands, asking for a double bed in a hotel, touching and kissing can be considered public displays," said Meg Ten Eyck.

"In some countries, these actions are illegal and the consequences can range from a fine to imprisonment to the death penalty. Not to be too sensationalist here, a lot of people have traveled to anti-LGBT countries and it went very well for them. There are also people who haven’t been so lucky. It’s a case-by-case situation," she added.

In Morocco, homosexuality is punished with a sentence of up to three years in prison under Article 489 of the Penal Code, which punishes "anyone who commits an indecent or unnatural act with an individual of the same sex." A homosexual can face prison sentences of 6 months to 3 years or fines of 120 to 1200 dirhams, or 11 to 110 euros.